Chapter Sixteen
Matt bolted upright, unsure of what awakened him but certain that he didn’t wake of his own accord. He blinked and surveyed the bedroom. Though the blinds were closed and no lights were on, his enhanced vision enabled him to see clearly with the help of the moonlight that shone through the slats.
Nothing appeared amiss. No knick-knacks askew on the dressers or nightstands. No objects on the floor.
He cocked his head toward the window. Silence. And then…. Was that a footstep? Or perhaps the sound of paws padding around the exterior of the house?
Matt glanced down at Sage. She slept peacefully, unaware of any disturbance. It was a sign that his mark was effective. Over the next few days, she would need more rest as the transformation took hold.
Also, they’d had little sleep throughout the night.
He hadn’t thought of children until she mentioned it.
But once the idea was out there and he imagined Sage round with his child, sleep had been the last thing on his mind.
He’d been insatiable, and though it was unlikely, he couldn’t help hoping that they’d started their family last night.
She filled him with dreams of the future—something he’d had very little of since their college graduation. Other than going to work, there’d been no reason for him to get out of bed in the morning.
Keeping an eye on Sage, he lifted the covers carefully and slowly slid out of bed. He tucked Sage in and kissed her forehead before quietly loping out of the bedroom.
Darkness and silence greeted him when he stepped out onto the unlit porch. No light or sound came from the few occupied neighboring homes. He didn’t sense any movement. The night was still. Not even a breeze stirred amongst the trees. And yet….
He inhaled deeply. A vicious growl erupted from his chest without his conscious volition. The wolf portion of his brain understood the scent on the air before his human half interpreted it. “Meredith,” he ground out.
Matt descended the porch steps. The cold pavement of the drive chilled his feet, making him aware of his nudity. He’d climbed out of bed without a stitch of clothing on and he hadn’t wasted time dressing. His recent runs with the pack had made him more comfortable with nudity outdoors.
He stepped deeper into the shadows. “Meredith.” He didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t have to. “Come out. I know you’re there.”
With a husky laugh, she sauntered, completely naked, out of the bushes at the corner of the house, her pale skin a beacon despite the darkness.
She fluffed her red curls. Her thick hair and flawless skin were her best features.
She strode toward him confidently. “Well, hello, lover.” Her eyes glowed briefly, an unnatural flare more fiery orange than the yellow or gold of most brown or green-eyed shifters.
Her normal eye color was a reddish sherry brown.
“I’m not your lover. Or your mate,” he added before she could make the claim.
“Don’t say that.” She extended her hand toward his face.
He caught her wrist before she made contact. He wasn’t gentle. She winced but he felt no sympathy for her. Not after the way she tortured him. “Why are you here?”
A smile curled her lips. “You know why.” She attempted to step closer, but he held her at a distance.
When he met her, he’d found her confidence attractive even though he didn’t find her physically alluring.
She was thin and small. When he stood at her side, he felt like he was with a child.
Her hair and skin were her only notable features.
Otherwise, she was nondescript. Not objectively ugly but not pretty either.
“I’ve claimed my mate.”
She sneered. “That human who reeks of you? I saw her in town. She’s no match for me.”
“She’s everything.”
Meredith bared her teeth. “Then I will have to remove this obstacle to our mating.”
“You will stay the hell away from her and from me. And if you don’t, I will do what your uncle and your brother couldn’t.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“Don’t test me and we won’t have to find out.”
She growled. Then sniffed. “I can smell her stench all over you. How dare she touch what is mine?” Her head whipped around toward the open door of the house.
“Is she here? I’ll teach her to keep her grubby, human hands to herself.
” She crouched and twisted her wrist out of his grip and bolted up the porch steps.
Due to her small size, she was quick. But his longer stride had him catching her in seconds. He caught her by the waist and swung her around.
He flung her off the porch none too gently. Shifters were tough so he didn’t intend to pull his punches. Meredith landed on her back but bounded onto her feet with ease in an instant. She raced at him, slamming into him and trying to force her way around him.
“That may have worked when I was human but not now.” He restrained her with ease.
She snarled and wriggled like a wild animal. Matt tightened his hold and shook her. “Stop it,” he growled, giving her another vicious shake. “If you hurt her—”
“You can’t watch her every minute of every day. And then you’ll be mine again. Or you can just admit that you want me.” She wiggled against him, this time not trying to get free, but attempting to arouse him. His cock remained flaccid, and he shifted his hips backward to avoid contact with her.
“I physically cannot respond to you. But I can to her.”
“No!” she wailed. “You’re my mate.” She flailed and threatened to break his hold on her again.
“Need a hand?”
Matt glanced up to see Dade and Travis strolling up the driveway. Rick and Mitch approached from opposite sides of the house. He raised his eyebrows. “How long have you guys been out here?”
“Long enough,” Dade replied.
“We had to stay back so that she wouldn’t scent us,” Rick explained.
“You can give that to me,” Dade said and Matt happily handed Meredith over to him. She continued to fight at first. Dade stared down at her, his gold eyes took on a brief golden glow. A low menacing growl filled the air. Meredith whimpered and bared her neck and dropped her gaze in submission.
“What are you going to do with her?”
“Turn her over to her relatives. But if she ever enters our territory again without permission, I will show no mercy.”
“Without permission?” Matt asked with a frown. Permission seemed to leave the door open for Meredith to do this again. He didn’t trust her to be in the same town as him or Sage.
“Permission will be denied,” Dade stated flatly in a tone that brooked no argument. “The consequences of another unwelcome visit by Meredith have been made very clear to Mack and Patrick.”
Matt sighed. He wasn’t so bloodthirsty as to desire Meredith’s death, but he didn’t want to go through this shit again. He would not risk Sage’s safety.
“Go back to your mate,” Rick said. “And have a good night. What’s left of it anyway.”
“Yeah…. Thank you.” The words were inadequate in comparison to the gratitude that he felt. These men owed him nothing. Rick was his future brother-in-law, but that connection was minute. Missy was still more of a stranger than sibling to Matt.
Rick clapped him on the shoulder. “You’re welcome. Now, I’m going home to my mate.”
Matt bounded onto the porch. Meredith began screaming and begging. “Matt! Please, don’t let them take me, Matt! I’m your—” He closed the door and didn’t look back.
Sage scooted her bottom into his lap the moment he turned to her. Smiling, Matt buried his face in her neck and breathed in her delicious scent. He cuddled his mate. This was home.
***
“I can’t believe I slept through all that,” Sage said as Matt completed his account of last night’s events.
“Well, you were pretty worn out,” he said, his lips curling in a devilishly sexy smile as he placed a plate of bacon on the table and sat down.
As usual, Matt beat her to the kitchen. He’d prepared a breakfast of bacon and eggs in his usual gargantuan proportions. However, this morning she was really grateful as she felt ravenous. She piled her plate high whilst Matt watched on with a smile.
She hummed with happiness as she bit into her first slice of thick cut bacon. “What if Meredith comes back? Should we leave now that she knows you’re here?”
He shook his head. “Not unless you want to leave. Wolves are excellent trackers. She’d be able find me no matter where I go with a little persistence.
There’s no reason she should have known I was here.
I guess she followed me when I visited Missy before.
At least here, we have the support of the pack.
She’d have to have a death wish to come back. ”
Sage heaved a sigh of relief and tucked into her eggs. “These are so good. I don’t know why I’m so hungry today.”
“Marry me.”
She swallowed quickly. “What?”
He smiled and shrugged. “Marry me. As soon as we can. Let’s go to the courthouse and get married. Unless…you want a big wedding. I can wait until after Missy’s wedding,” he finished, suddenly looking unsure.
Laughing, she shook her head. She rounded the table, and wrapping her arms around his neck, she climbed into his lap. “Of course I’ll marry you. And I don’t want to wait. We’ll go tomorrow morning and fill out the paperwork.”
He drew her down for a kiss. “Why tomorrow? Why not today?”
“Tomorrow will give Missy the chance to come with us.”
He grimaced. “But your parents won’t be here.”
“That’s fine. My parents don’t like weddings. My father says they’re a waste of money.”
“And your mother?”
“She would come to my wedding, but she doesn’t really like them.
She’s a jeans and t-shirts kind of girl.
” She thought about it for a moment then snapped her fingers.
“We can do a video call. I’ll text them right after breakfast.” His arms tightened around her when she moved to stand up. “What is it?”
“Your parents will accept this? You marrying me?”
She kissed him. “I’m happy. They’ll be thrilled.”
“You’re getting married?!”